Homemade Shawarma Bread in A Pan &

Oven( Pita bread/ Naan Flat Bread)

Shawarma bread (Pita Bread) is so easy to make. All you

need are 3 or 4( if you add oil) basic ingredients, that I bet
you already have in your kitchen.
I love making food from scratch and love it more when the
process is easy and takes little or no time. You don't have
to be a cook, to make this bread;even if you haven't
baked bread before, you won't have any problems making
this flat bread .
I'll show you how Shawarma bread is made on a pan
(stove top) and in an oven. Both methods are great, but
with the pan, you get the distinctive brown spots of pita
bread , while in an oven you don't get as much(except you
are using an oven stone).

This is how I used mine for Chicken Shawarma( Looks

good, right?).

If you want a VERY flat bread, then do check out this Flour
Tortilla Wrap Recipe here.

For the Homemade Shawarma Bread(pita bread)

You'll need:
* 320 Grams(2cups) Plain flour/ Whole Wheat flour
* 70 Grams(Half cup) Plain flour/ Whole Wheat flour(for
dusting& Kneading)
* 1 cup Warm Water(tepid water)
* 2 teaspoon Dry instant Yeast/ 20grams fresh yeast
* 1 teaspoonful Salt

* 2 teaspoon melted butter/Olive oil/lard(optional)

(1 teaspoon is for oiling the bowl)

Preparation
* In a small bowl, Dissolve the yeast in a little water and
set aside to dissolve completely
* In a large bowl,Mix the flour and salt together; add a
teaspoon of oil/melted butter(if you're using any).
Mix together and add the dissolved yeast and mix;add
more water and continue to mix until you get a rough
dough like the picture below.

* Now knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for

about 5-8 minutes until the dough is firm and elastic.

If the dough is sticky, dust more flour on it and knead on

to get a non-sticky,elastic dough.
Then oil the used large bowl and place the dough into it.
Making sure that the dough is well brushed with oil.
Tip: The oil prevents the dough from sticking to the bowl.
* Cover the bowl and leave to rise for 2 hours or until it
doubles in size.

Then deflate the dough by gently punching it down. Then

Place on the lightly floured surface; cut out into orange
sized balls(if you want a large bread), or into golf sized
balls(if you want a smaller pita bread).
Take one of the balls(keep the others covered,t o
prevent drying out) ,Then Flatten the ball with your palm
and roll out flat; sprinkle some flour as you roll until you
get a large circle. Then place on a floured surface and
cover while you repeat the process for the remaining balls.
Tip: Remember to always dust with flour if it is sticky
and flip the dough over so that it does not stick to the

table.
You can use a circular cutter to get a perfect circle...yes,
you can cheat with this one...Lol
* If you want to make the Shawarma bread on a pan(on
stove top), simply heat up a nonstick pan until it's very hot.
Then place the rolled dough on it.When you begin to see
bubbles, flip over to the other side and watch as the
balloon forms...that's the fun part of the whole process.

The balloon will also form if you don't flip over, but that
will result in one side burning and turning black (we don't
want that, right? )
Deflate the balloon and place on a tray lined with a
damp kitchen towel, and repeat the process for the
remaining dough.
Tip: To keep the bread soft and fresh after cooking, cover
with a damp cloth.
To preserve the bread for later use, wrap in a zip lock or
poly bag. It will stay fresh in room temperature for 2-3
days.

* If you want to make use of an oven; Preheat the oven to

230C(450F), place the baking tray(with the rolled out
dough) into the oven and bake for 3-5 minutes. Watch as
the balloon forms. Then take it out of the oven.
If I don't get the brown spots (which is usually the case
with oven made pita bread), I cheat the oven by
''browning'' the oven made flat bread on a pan..taddam
..)

Tip: It is important to note that , not all bread forms a

balloon.I think it has to do with the heating capacity of the
oven. So if you encounter that problem, don't be
disturbed; it happens to the best of us...Lol...just go ahead
and use it as a flat bread wrap..it saves you the time of
slicing the bread into 2 parts..lol.

Now that your Shawarma bread(Flat Bread) is ready...

what are you waiting for..ENJOY!
Here's an easy homemade chicken Shawarma recipe
you'll surely love... Bon Appetit .

Traditional Greek Pita Bread.

Yields: 8 pita rounds

Ingredients

1 cup hot water, but not boiling

2 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast

2 1/2 - 3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Mix the water and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer (a large bowl will also work if you
do not have a mixer), and let sit for about five minutes until the yeast is dissolved. Add 2 1/2
cups of the flour (saving the last half cup for kneading), salt, and olive oil. If using a stand mixer
attach the dough and need the dough on medium speed for 8 minutes, adding more flour until
you have a smooth dough. If using your hands sprinkle a little of the extra flour onto your clean
work surface and turn out the dough. Knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is
smooth and elastic. Add more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands or
the work surface, but try to be sparing. It's better to use too little flour than too much. If you get
tired, stop and let the dough rest for a few minutes before finishing kneading.
Clean the bowl you used to mix the dough and run it with a little olive oil. Set the dough in the
bowl and turn it until it's coated with oil. Cover with a clean dishcloth or plastic wrap and let the
dough rise until it's doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
At this point, you can refrigerate the pita dough until it is needed. You can also bake one or two
pitas at a time, saving the rest of the dough in the fridge. The dough will keep refrigerated for
about a week.
Gently deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough
into 8 equal pieces and gently flatten each piece into a thick disk. Using a floured rolling pin, roll
one of the pieces into a circle 8-9 inches wide and about a quarter inch thick. Lift and turn the
dough frequently as you roll to make sure the dough isn't sticking to your counter. Sprinkle with
a little extra flour if it starting to stick. If the dough starts to spring back, set it aside to rest for a
few minutes, then continue rolling. Repeat with the other pieces of dough. (Once you get the
hang of it you can be cooking one pita while rolling the next one out.)
Warm a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat (you want a hot pan). Drizzle a little oil in the
pan and wipe off the excess.Lay a rolled-out pita on the skillet and bake for 30 seconds, until you
see bubbles starting to form. Flip and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side, until large toasted
spots appear on the underside. Flip again and cook another 1-2 minutes to toast the other side.
The pita should start to puff up during this time; if it doesn't or if only small pockets form, try
pressing the surface of the pita gently with a clean towel. Keep cooked pitas covered with a clean
dishtowel while cooking any remaining pitas.
These are best eaten fresh, but will keep in a ziplock bag for a few days or in the freezer.

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 2 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Homemade Flatbread {Greek

Pocketless Pitas}
Yield: Makes 6-8 flatbreads

As with all yeast doughs, I never use the flour amount called for in the recipe as a hard fast rule
(unless a weight measure is given and then I pull out my kitchen scale). Because humidity,
temperature, altitude and a multitude of other factors can impact how much flour you need in your
yeast doughs, I always judge when to quit adding flour by the texture and look and feel of the dough
rather than how much flour Ive added compared to the recipe. This tutorial on yeast may help
identify how a perfectly floured dough should be.
Since I don't always have bread flour on hand, for this recipe, several times, I've used about 2 3/4
cups flour plus 1/4 cup wheat gluten (to approximate the same properties as bread flour). I've also
subbed half the flour for white whole wheat flour, too, with good results. Also, if you want to use
active dry yeast instead of instant, let the yeast proof in the sugar/water mixture until it is bubbly and
foaming before proceeding with adding the other ingredients.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons instant yeast

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

2/3 cup warm water (about 100 degrees, warm but not hot to the touch)

1/2 cup warm milk (about 100 degrees, warm but not hot to the touch)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups bread flour, more or less (see note)

Directions
1. In a large bowl (or bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook), mix
the yeast, sugar water, milk, oil, salt and one cup of the flour until well combined.
2. Gradually add the remaining flour until a soft dough is formed. It will pull away
from the sides of the bowl to form a ball but still be slightly soft to the touch (see
the note). Knead the dough for 4-5 minutes until it is soft and smooth.
3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap; let
rise until doubled, about an hour or so.
4. Divide the dough into six or eight equal pieces. Cover with a cloth or plastic wrap
and let the dough pieces rest for 10-15 minutes (this helps relax the gluten so
they are easier to roll out).
5. Working with one piece at a time, on a lightly greased or floured counter, roll the
dough about 1/8-inch thick into a large circle, about 7-8 inches in diameter.
6. Heat a griddle or skillet to medium heat (I preheat my electric griddle to 300
degrees). When the griddle/skillet is hot, cook the flatbread for 2-3 minutes on the
first side until it bubbles and puffs. Flip it over with a pair of tongs and cook on the
second side until it is golden and spotty. If the skillet isn't hot enough, the bread
can turn out dry (and won't bend easily) from being overcooked so look for the
right amount of heat that will cook the flatbread in 2-3 minutes max per side.

7. Transfer the flatbread to a plate or work surface and cover with a clean kitchen
towel. Repeat with the remaining dough (I can fit two pieces of flatbread on my
electric griddle so I roll out two at a time), stacking each warm flatbread on top of
the others and covering with the towel.
8. The flatbread can be made, cooked, cooled and frozen with great results. It is
best served the day it is made but can be reheated gently the day after, if
needed.
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